‘Texas’ is Slang for ‘Crazy’ in Norway

A Tumblr screencap making the rounds this past week has revealed "texas" to be a part of Norwegian slang, meaning "crazy" or "wild".

via Tumblr

Initially, the above screencap was believed to be a joke or a simple misunderstanding, but people at Texas Monthly looked into it and found evidence backing up the claim, specifically quotes from people describing chaotic situations like sporting events, reckless truck drivers, etc. as "totally texas".

The slang word "texas" is used as an adjective, not capitalized, and describing situations rather than people. Its linked to the Norwegian phrase, “det var helt texas,” which is loosely translated as “it was totally/absolutely/completely bonkers.” The term dates back several decades and is based off association. One Tumblr user explained the association back to the idea of the wild west, identified as a chaotic and wild time. In other countries, the idea of the wild west is regularly associated with Texas, so basically "Crazy = Wild West = Texas".